Singlemania!

Picked up a nice selection of classic 7" singles this week:

1. The Contenders - The Clock / Look At Me (196? Java 101 /red label)
2. The Box Tops - Cry Like A Baby / The Door You Closed To Me (1968 Mala 593)
3. Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love / SWLABR (1968 Atco 6544)
4. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water (Edited Version) (1973 Warner Bros. 7710)
5. The Stylistics - Betcha By Golly, Wow / Ebony Eyes (1972 Avco 4591)
6. The Stylistics - You Are Everything / Country Living (1971 Avco 4581)
7. The Chordettes - No Other Arms, No Other Lips / We Should Be Together (1959 Cadence 1361)
8. The Bubble Puppy - Hot Smoke & Sasafrass / Lonely (1969 International Artists 128)
9. The Orlons - South Street / Them Terrible Boots (1963 Cameo 243)
10. Raspberries - Go All The Way / With You In My Life (1972 Capitol 3348)
11. The Zombies - Time Of The Season - Friends Of Mine (1968 Date 1628)
12. The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun / Talkin' About You (1965 Parlophone 60230)
13. The Angels - Til / A Moment Ago (1968 reissue - Eric 106 - originally released in 1961 on the Caprice label)
14. The Angels - My Boyfriend's Back / (Love Me) Now (1963 Smash 1834)
15. The Chantels - Maybe / I Can't Take It (19?? Roulette GG-22)
16. 1910 Fruitgum Co. - Simon Says / Reflections From The Looking Glass (1968 Buddah 24)
17. 1910 Fruitgum Co. - Special Delivery / No Good Annie (1969 Buddah 114)
18. The Tremeloes - Here Comes My Baby / Gentleman Of Pleasure (1967 Epic 10139)
19. Spiral Staircase - More Today Than Yesterday / Broken Hearted Man (1969 Columbia 44741)
20. The Beatles - The Ballad Of John And Yoko / Old Brown Shoe (1969 Apple 2531 original: w/small Capitol logo on bottom of B-side)
21. Santana - Black Magic Woman / Hope You're Feeling Better (1970 Columbia 45270)
22. Tommy James And The Shondells - Hanky Panky / Thunderbolt (1966 Roulette 4686)
23. Tommy James And The Shondells - Mony Mony / One Two Three And I Fell (1968 Roulette 7008)
24. The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me / He Knows I Love Him Too Much (1968 reissue Eric 101 -songs originally released separately in 1961/1962 on the Gregmark label)
25. The Arrows - Blue's Theme / Bongo Party (1967 Tower 295)
26. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode / Around & Around (1958 Chess 1691)
27. Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band / Creepin' (1973 Capitol 3660, gold vinyl)
28. Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue / Everyday (1957 Coral 61885, orange label)
29. Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues / Out Of Focus (1968 Philips 40516)
30. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary / Born On The Bayou (1969 Fantasy 619)
31. Shelley Fabares - Johnny Angel / Johnny Loves Me (1968 reissue, Eric 115 -songs originally released separately in 1962 0n Colpix label)

Like most singles sourced from the thrift store, this batch looks thoroughly scuffed and in dire need of a good old-fashioned wash up at the kitchen sink. Despite initial outward appearances, I am often pleasantly surprised at how well these things will still play though, with much of the damage being superficial. Only the Chuck Berry one—with a deep gouge on the Johnny B. Goode side—looks too damaged to play properly. I don't plan on subjecting my stylus to that punishment for such a familiar song, but I wanted to buy the record anyway because it was an original on the Chess label, which is something I don't see every day and thought was pretty cool, and the flip-side looks fine. These records only set me back nineteen cents a piece, so at that price, if something looks interesting, I'm likely to just grab it without too much deliberation. 

A few of the groups, such as The Contenders, The Arrows, and The Paris Sisters, are completely new to me and I'm really looking forward to checking them out. 

Judging by what I've been reading, the record by The Arrows seems like it will be quite good...

Credited with pushing guitar distortion to new extremes and innovating the ultra buzzy "fuzz guitar" sound, Arrows main man Davie Allan has been called "High priest of the fuzz guitar" and is known for his heavy and noisy, but focused and proficient guitar work that is said to be like the missing link between surf music and psychedelia.

The music of Davie Allan & the Arrows has been used in over two dozen movie soundtracks. Apparently, a good deal of those films are of the late sixties outlaw biker B-movie variety, such as The Wild Angels, starring Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Nancy Sinatra, and Diane Ladd, The Glory Stompers, featuring Dennis Hopper, and Born Losers (with special guest star, Jane Russell). Click the film titles to view the trailers in all their depraved, unlawful glory at YouTube.

I am surprised I never managed to hear of Davie Allan or The Arrows sooner. It seems likely I may have been exposed to his/their music in a movie or someplace else without realizing it though.

 What immediately attracted me to this record is that it is on the Tower label—which released the very first Pink Floyd records (of which I'm a big fan).

I've heard the song South Street before, but I never knew who recorded it. Now that I know, I have to admit that I am not familiar with The Orlons name at all, but I am happy to have found this single and can't wait to hear the B-side song with the intriguing title of Them Terrible Boots. I think there must be a special story waiting to be heard there.

They may be Homer Simpson's favorite band, but to be honest, I picked this single by Grand Funk Railroad, more for the fact that I couldn't resist the shiny, translucent, gold vinyl, than for the radio rockin' hit single contained therein.

This one is extra beat-up—possibly from enduring much hard use at one too many acid parties—but I liked how Cream are credited here as "The Cream." I also never before found a Cream single, and since they are such a great band, I grabbed it. In case you are wondering, the letters that form the title of the B-side song "SWLABR" stand for: She Was Like A Bearded Rainbow. And with that, I leave you with these enigmatic words to reflect upon: "You've got that rainbow feel, but the rainbow has a beard"